Server rack for improved data center management

ABSTRACT

Methods and systems for data center management include collecting sensor data from one or more sensors in a rack; determining a location and identifying information for each asset in the rack using a set of asset tags associated with respective assets; communicating the sensor and asset location to a communication module; receiving an instruction from the communication module; and executing the received instruction to change a property of the rack.

STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT RIGHTS

This invention was made with Government support under Contract No.:DE-EE0002897 awarded by Department of Energy. The Government has certainrights in this invention.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The present invention relates to data center management and, moreparticularly, to integrated housing, sensing, and control devices tointegrate and streamline broad management tasks.

Description of the Related Art

Data center operators find it useful to track certain informationregarding their spaces. For example, quantities such as temperature andpower consumption provide convenient and intuitive metrics for theoperating conditions of the data center. As data centers grow and becomeharder to manage, obtaining fine-grained feedback becomes exponentiallymore difficult. Temperatures can vary significantly across a large datacenter, with devices that have a higher workload generating more heat.Meanwhile, power consumption information for individual clients can behelpful in identifying clients with high needs. To obtain thisfine-grained information, many sensors are employed and distributedthroughout the data center.

A further factor that data centers are concerned with is assetmanagement. Maintaining a large data center involves keeping track ofmany individual pieces of equipment. It is difficult to keep a listingof such devices up to date, as equipment may be added and removedfrequently, or even simply moved from one location to another. As anexample, if a particular server is taken down for repair, this factshould be recorded. To accomplish this, data centers use assetmanagement tags and then collate that information into an up-to-datedatabase.

However, these different systems are all maintained separately and useseparate infrastructure. The result of this is a large duplication ofeffort, as separate devices and communication lines are installed forevery kind of sensor. Furthermore, maintaining separate infrastructuresfor each type of sensing complicates the physical organization of thedata center, as the presence of additional cables provides additionalpossible points of failure.

SUMMARY

A data center management system includes a control module configured tomonitor a status of a data center; and a plurality of racks, each havingone or more assets and a communication mote integrated with the rackthat is configured to collect sensor and asset location data and totransmit said collected data to the control module. Each integratedcommunication module includes a sensor module configured to monitor oneor more environmental variables at the respective rack; an asset moduleconfigured to determine a location and identifying information for eachasset in the rack; and a communication module configured to communicatesaid sensor and asset location data.

A rack includes one or more assets, each having an associated asset tag;one or more sensors configured to collect environmental data at therack; and an integrated communication mote. The integrated communicationmote includes a sensor module configured to collect sensor data from theone or more sensors; an asset module configured to determine a locationand identifying information for each asset in the rack using the assets'associated asset tags; and a communication module configured tocommunicate said sensor and asset location data to a control module.

A method for data center management includes collecting sensor data fromone or more sensors in a rack; determining a location and identifyinginformation for each of a plurality of assets in the rack using a set ofasset tags associated with respective assets; communicating said sensorand asset location to a communication module; receiving an instructionfrom the communication module; and executing the received instruction tochange a property of the rack.

These and other features and advantages will become apparent from thefollowing detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof,which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The disclosure will provide details in the following description ofpreferred embodiments with reference to the following figures wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a managed data center in accordance with thepresent principles;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a managed rack with an integrated communicationmote in accordance with the present principles;

FIG. 3 is a diagram of a communication mote in accordance with thepresent principles;

FIG. 4 is a block/flow diagram of a method for data center management inaccordance with the present principles; and

FIG. 5 is a diagram of a control module in accordance with the presentprinciples.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present principles provide tools for data center management thatintegrate an array of different information gathering sensors in acost-effective way that imposes a minimal burden on data centeroperators. A single infrastructure is provided that collects informationfrom various sensors and communicates that information to a centralmonitoring station.

Referring now to the drawings in which like numerals represent the sameor similar elements and initially to FIG. 1, a data center monitoringsystem 100 is shown. A set of server racks 102 each have a low-powermote 104 that collects sensor data. The low-power mote 104 may include,e.g., temperature sensors, power consumption sensors, and asset locationor tracking sensors. The mote 104 may be integrated with the rack, suchthat the sensors need not be installed by the data center operator.

The mote 104 collects the data from the disparate sensor types andcommunicates the data to a control module 106. The mote 104 maycommunicate this information my any appropriate medium, but it isspecifically contemplated that the mote 104 will have a transceiver thatis able to communicate with the control module 106 wirelessly. Thecontrol module 106 locates, tracks, stores, and displays data from allof the racks 102 and can furthermore take action based on the collectedinformation. For example, if the temperature increases to too high alevel, the control module 106 can increase power to a cooling unit.

The control module 106 can furthermore store data and provide analysison the stored information. This allows the control module 106 tomaintain, for example, a database of assets and their present locations,such that any given piece of equipment may be located instantly. If apiece of equipment is removed without proper authority or during a timewhen it can be reasonably expected that no repairs are being performed,the control module 106 may generate an alarm to alert operators of apotential theft. This stored data can also be used to locate potentialareas in the data center that could use preventative maintenance. Forexample, if the temperature of a single rack increases out of proportionto the power consumption, there may be an air flow problem or damagedfan unit.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a diagram of the rack 102 is shown. A rack 102includes several assets 202. Generally these assets 202 will be serversthat provide services to the client(s) of the data center, but they mayrepresent any kind of device. Each asset 202 has an associated asset tag204. In one exemplary embodiment, the asset tags 204 are radio frequencyidentification (RFID) tags that are configured to emit an identifyingtransmission in response to a wireless query by mote 104. In analternative embodiment, the tags 204 are each physically connected tothe mote 104. Regardless of the medium of communication, the mote 104receives, e.g., an ID number from each tag 204 and can provide a list ofsuch numbers back to control module 106. The asset tags 204 mayoptionally include a visual or audio indicator that may be remotelyactivated, allowing an operator to quickly identify a desired asset 202.It is specifically contemplated that the asset tags 204 will be madeunremovable to prevent accidental loss of the tag 204 and, subsequently,the asset 202.

The rack 102 also has one or more sensors. In the present embodiment atemperature sensor 206 and a power draw sensor 208 are shown, but itshould be understood that the sensors may also include sensors for lightintensity, pressure, air flow, vibrations, acceleration, pollutants, aswell as audio and video. The present principles may even be extended tooff-rack contexts, where the sensors may include transducers for healthmonitoring (e.g., blood pressure) or for tracking and surveillance. Atemperature sensor 206 may include a series of individual temperaturesensors connected to, e.g., an inter-integrated circuit bus or aone-wire communication bus. A further example of a sensor is a passiveinfrared sensor, which allows the mote 104 to detect when someone isworking on the rack for security purposes or for logging. The powersensor 208 may include a series of individual power sensors, one foreach asset 202, that monitor the amount of power drawn by the respectiveasset 202. The power sensor 208 may include Hall sensors that measurecurrent and may further include a voltage sensor. Information from thepower sensor 208 may be used to, for example, limit the powerconsumption of an asset 202 by controlling an intelligent powerdistribution unit. The power sensor 208 may measure, e.g., currentintensity, voltage level, an angular phase difference between the two,individual signal phases in three-phase electric power, etc. Thisinformation can be used to calculate power-related metrics such as realand reactive power, complex and apparent power, and a power factor.

The temperature sensor 206 and power sensor 208 are each connected tothe mote 104 by an appropriate communication medium and protocol. Themote 104 collects information from all sensors in the rack 102 as wellas identification information from asset tags 204. The mote 104 collectsthe information into a single messaging protocol to communicate with thecontrol module 106, providing information regarding the overalloperational status of the rack 102.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a diagram of an individual mote 104 is shown.The mote 104 includes a processor 302 and memory 304. An asset module306 communicates with asset tags 204 to identify assets within themote's rack. Asset module 306 may comprise an RFID reader. The assetmodule 306 may emit a radio pulse configured to prompt asset tags 204 torespond with an identifier, or the asset module 306 may passivelyreceive periodic identification broadcasts from the tags 204.Alternatively, the asset module 306 may be physically connected to theasset tags 204 and communicate with said tags 204 via any appropriatecommunication medium. Such a medium may be in the form of an assetstring that connects to each asset tag 204. The asset module 306automatically detects any configuration change within the rack 102, suchas the addition or removal of assets 202.

The mote 104 can provide two-dimensional and three-dimensional locationinformation for an asset 202 in a data center. A two-dimensionalposition may be determined for the mote 104 itself, providing itsposition within the data center 100. This two-dimensional location (x,y)can be determined using features of the mote's radio, where receivedsignal strength, time of flight, and time synchronization may be used totriangulate the mote's position relative to “anchor” motes having knownpositions. The vertical positioning coordinate z may be determined usingwired asset tags 204, where the position of the asset tag 204corresponds to the position of the associated asset 202 in the rack 102.

The mote 104 includes one or more sensor modules 308, each configured toreceive information from one or more sensors. Processor 302 assemblesthe information collected by sensor module 308 in memory 304. A wirelessmodule 310 communicates with control module 106 to convey assetidentification information and sensor information. The wireless module310 may also communicate with the wireless modules 310 of other motes104 in other racks 102. This allows the formation of a mesh network. Thewireless module 310 may include a low-power wireless transmitter, forexample using a wireless protocol such as WirelessHART®, ZigBee®,Bluetooth®, 6LoWPAN, or Wi-Fi®, that connects to the wireless modules310 of neighboring motes 104. Said motes 104 in turn connect to othermotes 104, creating a network of low-power wireless connections thatallows information from any point in the data center to reach thecontrol module 106. The mesh network may have self-healing andauto-discovery features, allowing motes 104 to be added and removedwithout disrupting communications or needing substantial operatoroversight.

As noted above, the motes 104 may organize into a mesh network. A meshnetwork is a multi-hop network where each mote 104 can be both a sourceand a relay communication node. This characteristic allows for a meshnetwork topology, as opposed to a star topology (single-hop network)where each mote would have to be able to talk directly to the gateway orcontrol module 106. A wireless module 310 in such a network would needto be more powerful and it would therefore be advantageous to power itfrom a power source other than batteries. The mesh network can use atime-synchronized communication protocol so the motes 104 will be ableto sleep most of the time and wake up only on predetermined time slots,thus reducing power consumption and avoiding communication collisionsand retransmissions. In a time-synchronized protocol, the motes havetheir clocks synchronized. Such clocks can be used for Time of Flightmeasurements, improving the localization resolution. The control module106 has full information of the mesh network and defines and optimizesthe routing paths.

The mote 104 may be integrated with its respective rack 102 and may drawpower from the rack's power system or may be battery powered.Alternatively, the mote 104 may be a module added after installation.The mote 104 may further include control logic 312 that allows the mote104 to issue commands to devices within the rack. For example, thecontrol logic 312 may use asset module 306 to signal an individual assettag 204. This signal may trigger the asset tag 204 to, for example,display an indicator, provide its identifier, change its identifier,etc. Control logic 312 may further process and relay commands fromcontrol module 106, allowing the mote 104 to control such functions inthe rack 102 as cooling, power management, etc.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a method for data center management is shown.At block 402, a mote 104 collects various sensor data. As describedabove, this sensor data may include temperature data, power usage data,humidity data, air flow data, and corrosion data. Block 404 collectsasset location data. This may be performed by polling asset tags 204 orby receiving broadcast identification information from said tags 204.

Block 406 transmits the collected data from the mote 104 to a controlmodule 106. This transmission may be over a wired or wirelessconnection. In particular, it is contemplated that the motes 104 form awireless mesh network that is in communication with the control module106. To transmit data to the control module 106, the mote 104 inquestion uses low-power wireless communications to transmit to a nearbymote 104 in a different rack 102. The nearby mote 104 in turn transmitsthe data to another mote 104, until the data reaches the control module106.

Block 408 makes a determination at the control module 106 based on thedata received from mote 104. One example of such a determination mightinclude comparing the temperature to a threshold temperature. If thepresent temperature in a rack 102 exceeds a threshold temperature, thecontrol module 106 may increase cooling in the rack 102. Similarly, ifthe power draw in the rack 102 is too high, the control module 106 mayact to decrease the power usage.

Block 410 transmits instructions from the control module 106 back to themote 104 through the mesh network. Upon receiving the instructions, themote 104 performs the action at block 412. Such an action might be theillumination of an indicator at an asset tag 204, the increase ordecrease of cooling within the rack, etc. This allows data centeroperators to more effectively manage the data center's resources andallows for a degree of automation.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the presentinvention may be embodied as a system, method or computer programproduct. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the formof an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment(including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or anembodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may allgenerally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.”Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of acomputer program product embodied in one or more computer readablemedium(s) having computer readable program code embodied thereon.

Any combination of one or more computer readable medium(s) may beutilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer readablestorage medium. A computer readable storage medium may be, for example,but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic,infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitablecombination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustivelist) of the computer readable storage medium would include thefollowing: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-onlymemory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device,or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of thisdocument, a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible mediumthat can contain, or store a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmittedusing any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless,wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination ofthe foregoing. Computer program code for carrying out operations foraspects of the present invention may be written in any combination ofone or more programming languages, including an object orientedprogramming language such as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like andconventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C”programming language or similar programming languages. The program codemay execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user'scomputer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user'scomputer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remotecomputer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may beconnected to the user's computer through any type of network, includinga local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or theconnection may be made to an external computer (for example, through theInternet using an Internet Service Provider).

Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer program instructions. These computer program instructions maybe provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, specialpurpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus toproduce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via theprocessor of the computer or other programmable data processingapparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified inthe flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computerreadable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable dataprocessing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particularmanner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readablemedium produce an article of manufacture including instructions whichimplement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. The computer program instructions may also beloaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, orother devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed onthe computer, other programmable apparatus or other devices to produce acomputer implemented process such that the instructions which execute onthe computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof code, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be notedthat, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in theblocks may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, twoblocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantiallyconcurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverseorder, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be notedthat each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, andcombinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchartillustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-basedsystems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations ofspecial purpose hardware and computer instructions.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a diagram of control module 106 is shown. Thecontrol module includes a processor 502 and a memory or database 504. Awireless module 506 receives sensor and asset data from one or moremotes 104, either directly or through a wireless network. In onespecifically contemplated embodiment, the wireless network is a meshnetwork. The wireless module 506 stores said data in memory 504.

A data analysis module 507 uses processor 502 to perform one or moretypes of analysis on the data. As described above, this analysis may beas simple as comparing a current temperature to a threshold, or mayperform longitudinal statistical analysis of trends within the datacenter. One application for such statistics may be to identify equipmentthat operates at a consistently higher temperature, perhaps due to highserver load. Equipment that operates at a high temperature will needmore frequent maintenance. This allows the data center to takepreventative action by, e.g., weighing the costs of increasing thecooling to a rack against the benefits of greater hardware longevity.Control logic 508 uses these statistical analyses to determine a courseof action and sends instructions to a mote 104 via wireless module 506.

The control module 106 also includes a report module 510 thatperiodically generates and displays reports regarding the data center'sstatus to an operator. Such a report may include graphs showing sensorinformation over time and may further include an interactive map of thedata center that shows where every asset can be located. The reportmodule 510 works in conjunction with a user interface 512, whichdisplays the reports and allows a data center operator to enterinstructions. For example, the operator may select a malfunctioningasset 202 within a displayed rack 102 and instruct the associated assettag 204 to provide a visual or audio indicator that allows a technicianto quickly locate the asset 202.

Having described preferred embodiments of a system and method forimproved data center management (which are intended to be illustrativeand not limiting), it is noted that modifications and variations can bemade by persons skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. Itis therefore to be understood that changes may be made in the particularembodiments disclosed which are within the scope of the invention asoutlined by the appended claims. Having thus described aspects of theinvention, with the details and particularity required by the patentlaws, what is claimed and desired protected by Letters Patent is setforth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A data center management system, comprising: acontrol module configured to monitor an operating status of a datacenter; and a plurality of racks, each having one or more assets, amanaged service unit, and a communication mote integrated with the rackthat is configured to collect sensor and asset location data and totransmit said collected data to the control module, wherein theintegrated communication mote comprises: a sensor module configured tomonitor one or more environmental variables at the respective rack, saidone or more environmental variables including at least one of lightintensity, temperature, pressure, air flow, vibrations, acceleration,pollutants, audio and video; an asset module configured to determine alocation and identification information for each asset in the rack, tocommunicate with one or more asset tags associated with the assets inthe respective rack, and to activate a visual or audio indicator in theone or more asset tags; a communication module configured to communicatesaid sensor and asset location data and to relay an instruction receivedfrom the control module to a component within each rack, the instructionincluding a command to the component to perform an action at the rack,to associate wirelessly with one or more neighboring motes to form amesh network, to transmit collected sensor and asset location data to aneighboring mote, and to retransmit sensor and asset location datareceived from a neighboring mote to other neighboring motes, whereineach asset module is further configured to activate the visual or audioindicator on a respective asset tag upon receipt of the command, whereinthe asset tags include a radio frequency identification transmitter thattransmits an identifier to the respective integrated communication mote;and wherein the managed service unit is configured to provide a serviceto the assets in the rack and wherein said managed service unit iscontrolled by the integrated communication mote in response to receiptof the command from the control module.
 2. The data center managementsystem of claim 1, wherein the integrated communication mote furthercomprises a power sensor configured to monitor power consumption at therespective rack.
 3. A managed rack comprising: one or more assets, eachhaving an associated asset tag; one or more sensors configured tocollect environmental data at the rack, said one or more environmentalvariables including at least one of light intensity, temperature,pressure, air flow, vibrations, acceleration, pollutants, audio andvideo; an integrated communication mote, comprising: a sensor moduleconfigured to collect sensor data from the one or more sensors; an assetmodule configured to determine a location and identification informationfor each asset in the rack using the assets' associated asset tags, tocommunicate with the asset tags in the rack, and to activate a visual oraudio indicator in the asset tags, wherein the asset tags comprise aradio frequency identification transmitter that transmits an identifierto the integrated communication mote; and a communication moduleconfigured to communicate said sensor and asset location data to acontrol module and to relay an instruction received from the controlmodule to a component within the managed rack, the instruction includinga command to the component to perform an action at the rack, toassociate wirelessly with one or more neighboring motes to form a meshnetwork, to transmit collected sensor and asset location data to aneighboring mote, and to retransmit sensor and asset location datareceived from a neighboring mote to other neighboring motes, wherein theasset module is further configured to activate the visual or audioindicator on a respective asset tag upon receipt of the command; and amanaged service unit configured to provide a service to the assets inthe rack and wherein said managed service unit is controlled by theintegrated communication mote in response to receipt of the command fromthe control module.
 4. The managed rack of claim 3, wherein theintegrated communication mote further comprises a power sensorconfigured to monitor power consumption at the respective rack.
 5. Thedata center management system of claim 1, wherein the service to theassets in the rack includes increasing power to a cooling unit when atemperature in the respective rack is exceeded.
 6. The managed rack ofclaim 3, wherein the service to the assets in the rack includesincreasing power to a cooling unit when a temperature in the respectiverack is exceeded.
 7. The data center management system of claim 1,wherein the service to the assets in the rack includes power managementof the one or more assets.
 8. The managed rack of claim 3, wherein theservice to the assets in the rack includes power management of the oneor more assets.